


sunshine

by softyoonga



Series: summer lovin’ [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Choi Jongho is Whipped, Choi Jongho-centric, Explicit Language, Homophobia, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Sex, Internalized Homophobia, Kim Hongjoong is Whipped, M/M, Minor Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Underage Smoking, i didn’t mean to write this first, i know seonghwa and yunho aren’t in this, jongjoong, like if you squint - Freeform, this was supposed to be a prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:41:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28525641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softyoonga/pseuds/softyoonga
Summary: Jongho couldn’t help but be captivated by Hongjoong almost immediately. There was something about him that was just enticing. He wasn’t fully sure what he was feeling, but he knew he definitely wanted to kiss Hongjoong.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kim Hongjoong, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung
Series: summer lovin’ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089584
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone!
> 
> first, i want to give a big thank you to my best friend [mo](https://twitter.com/bluerazyunho), who has dealt with me constantly attacking her with ideas for this little universe i've created for the gay little ateezers and forcefully making her read every little bit i wrote, and i also wanna thank my stan twt twin, [leigh](https://twitter.com/littlestarhwa), and other best friend [bella](https://twitter.com/softbuntae) for beta reading this! it means so much to have all of your support.
> 
> second, this was supposed to be a prequel to a seongsang fanfic i was writing, but i got wrapped up in my rare pairings again and got distracted writing this instead. i made this so it could be read as a stand alone, and you wouldn't be confused with plot holes or anything from the unpublished seongsang fanfic. but, for that reason, seonghwa and yunho are not in this one shot :(
> 
> lastly, this is my first published ateez fanfic so be gentle with me and i always appreciate feedback and kudos! i hope you enjoy this rare pairing fic just as much as i enjoyed writing it <3
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/mlngkiway)  
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/softyoonga)

Jongho was only introduced to Hongjoong when he was still in high school, while the latter himself had no interest in continuing his education—something about not letting capitalism win if he remembers correctly. Truthfully, he wouldn’t have even met Hongjoong if it wasn’t for his friends Mingi and Wooyoung, clad in dark, unapproachable clothing. Wooyoung’s hair was dark as well, grown out so the ends of his hair could brush his cheekbones. Mingi’s hair was a light brown, and he had an undercut, which made him look more intimidating than he actually was. Though his friends looked intimidating at first glance, they were honestly all a bunch of chaotic softies just being typical teenage rebels with built up walls against the world. With that, Jongho’s parents _highly_ disapproved of them.

It was obvious his parents were always up his ass about something, and they drove him insane, it wasn’t even a shock to Jongho that they disapproved, but that didn’t stop him. It never stopped him actually. For the most part, Jongho fit in perfectly with Wooyoung and Mingi, except he hardly found himself as intimidating as them. But he also wore dark clothing that would be deemed as unapproachable, or ”trouble” as his parents would put it. Another issue his parents had was the thick scent of cigarettes that stuck to his clothes, even if it wasn’t so much habitual for him, only a social thing, but it was for Mingi, Hongjoong, and Yeosang. Compared to the others, Yeosang was quieter, in other words, the complete opposite of everyone else in the friend group. But, he and Hongjoong had a close friendship, they lived together at Hongjoong’s grandparent’s house. Yeosang normally adorned hoodies, even during the summer, his light brown hair was typically pushed back in a beanie.

San was also a friend of theirs, not one he saw too often though, he went to some different high school than the rest but it was farther away. His parents wanted him to go to a more _prestigious_ school rather than the rag-tag school the rest of them attended. But Wooyoung had the biggest crush on him, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

As for Hongjoong, there was something so enamoring about him that captivated Jongho. Perhaps it was Hongjoong’s outward personality, and how he wasn’t afraid to express himself. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and _god_ if only Jongho had the courage to do the same. Despite the multiple piercings adorning his ears, the septum and ring in his nose, and the numerous tattoos he showcased on his arms, he was the least bit intimidating.

It was the summer going into Jongho’s last year of high school when he officially met Hongjoong. Jongho had finally agreed to go hang out with everyone else, much to Mingi and Wooyoung’s delight who attacked him with hugs and a lot of yelling ensued. It was hard to believe the two were a year older than him at times with how they acted. Of course, he still loved them regardless.

The summer air was hot and humid, a perfect day for their plan of getting ice cream. When the three arrived, the first thing Jongho noticed was the bright red hair and the cigarette that was trapped between his fingers as he took a long drag. Yeosang was standing next to him, and if Jongho has never heard about their friendship dynamic, he could've mistaken them for siblings by how Yeosang grabbed the cigarette out of Hongjoong’s fingers and took a drag himself. It was hard to explain why exactly his heart started fluttering when he saw the playful scowl on Hongjoong’s face when Yeosang seemingly refused to give it back to him. Seeing them in their element was completely different from just hearing about it; it was endearing.

_“Yah_ , Hongjoongie hyung,” Mingi shouted, catching both his and Yeosang’s attention. “Do you have any more? I left my pack at home,” he continued as they got closer. Jongho didn’t even have to look at Mingi to know he had a pleading expression on his face.

“No, _Yeosang_ so rudely took my last one,” the red head replied, glaring over at the culprit, to which Yeosang shrugged, continuing to take drags of the cigarette. Hongjoong turned his attention over to Jongho, then back over to Mingi and Wooyoung. “And who’s this?”

“This is Jongho,” Wooyoung said, throwing an arm over his shoulders causing him to flinch at the sudden contact, “He’s the kid we’ve told you about that’s a year under us.”

Jongho scoffed and looked over at him, “You and Mingi hyung act more like kids than I do.”

A small grin began forming on Hongjoong’s lips, “I like him already,” he said, looking at the younger one. “I’m Hongjoong.”

He smiled at the compliment.

“Where’s San? I thought he’d come with you,” Yeosang asked teasingly.

Wooyoung glared, retracting his arm that was around Jongho, “He said he’d meet us here.”

Yeosang hummed in response.

It was only a few moments later that San showed up, Wooyoung immediately attacked him with hugs as if he hadn’t seen him almost everyday since summer started. The six of them made their way inside to the small ice cream shop, immediately crowding the inside even though it was just them and the employees. Jongho watched chaos ensue as they began ordering. The five of them had frequented the same ice cream shop multiple times since the employees basically already knew what they wanted. It was entertaining to see them all tease Mingi about getting mint chocolate— _especially Hongjoong_ who said “might as well brush your teeth,” to which he defended saying it was the superior flavor.

Once it got to Jongho’s turn, it was disappointing to see the tub of strawberry ice cream to be empty. With a pout on his lips, he considered other options, but a voice next to him interrupted his thoughts. “Need help deciding?”

Jongho turned his head, it was Hongjoong. “Well, the last of the strawberry was taken,” he said.

“That’s my fault,” the red head admitted, motioning to the small cup packed with the sweet treat. “We can share, _and_ I won’t make you pay me back, I don’t mind.” He added almost immediately.

“Do you always offer your ice cream to strangers?”

“Only cute ones.”

Thank god Jongho had the tendency and will power to control his outward emotions or he’d surely be the same shade as Hongjoong’s hair. Jongho agreed to sharing the ice cream, making the shorter one smile brightly. Jongho honestly wasn’t too upset about it, as much as he’d want ice cream all to himself, he actually enjoyed sharing with the older for some inexplicable reason.

They all made casual small talk as they ate their ice cream outside the shop. Jongho didn’t talk too much, he mainly listened to what they were discussing amongst themselves. The main topic of discussion was what they’d be doing over the summer; their plans consisted of going to the beach—a road trip to be exact, with Hongjoong involuntarily driving to which he grumbled. Going to the movies, finding summer jobs, being cheesy and going stargazing (Yeosang apparently had been bothering them about it for months). They made sure to not exclude the younger as well, telling him he’s _obviously_ included in all these plans. The topic ended up switching once Mingi started groping about not wanting to leave in the coming months due to university.

“Just be like me: don’t go,” Hongjoong advised, leaning back in his chair.

“Exactly what I’m doing,” Yeosang piped in.

Mingi groaned, “I wish it was that easy.”

“Just tell your parents we wanted to start a band,” San suggested.

“And when they tell me that’s dumb?”

Jongho scoffed, “A band?” He heard Yeosang saying something about it not being that serious, and Wooyoung saying he thought they weren’t doing that anymore.

“It was a work in progress,” Hongjoong, who had glared at Yeosang for his statement, began explaining. “The only issue is that our _dear_ Wooyoung doesn’t want to be our main vocalist,” he turned his head towards the latter, and if looks could kill, Jongho was sure Hongjoong would be dead by the way Wooyoung was staring daggers back.

“What about everyone else?”

“Yeosang is bass, San is guitar—they’d both be vocalists too—Mingi plays drums and we both write songs and produce, I play keyboard sometimes.”

The youngest nodded, imaging the dynamics they all have. The others continued bugging Wooyoung about not being their vocalist since his voice fits so well with their songs.

“Performing in front of you guys is completely different from performing in front of other people,” Wooyoung groaned in frustration. “Just find another vocalist, I’m sure there’s plenty of people who would wanna be in a band.”

“Jongho, don’t you sing?” Yeosang asked.

They all went silent and turned their attention towards Jongho. It was true, he did sing. Despite his outstanding vocals making him quite popular amongst the fine arts students, he was never used to the attention away from the stage. He liked performing, it gave him a type of adrenaline rush that he couldn’t really explain. It was almost addictive to perform in front of a crowd, so even if the attention was unsettling at times, he couldn’t get enough of it on the stage. To say he wasn’t reluctant to accept the offer would be wrong, of course he was still nervous because if his voice didn’t fit their music, what would happen then? He doesn’t want to disappoint them.

That’s how he found himself with the others in Hongjoong’s grandparent’s garage, listening to the songs they’ve recorded with Wooyoung’s vocals and reviewing how the instrumentals sound. He was almost intimidated by how well Wooyoung’s vocals fit with their songs, he wouldn’t even have been able to settle for anyone else if he were them.

“A garage is so cliché,” Jongho couldn’t help himself from saying when they had first mentioned that’s where they were going.

Hongjoong had only shrugged in response as they entered the cold, concrete space. “Music is what I want to do, so I already transformed it into a studio anyways,” he said, walking over to a desk with a laptop resting on top of it and other miscellaneous stationary and what looked to be art supplies. The red head beckoned Jongho over to him, to which he obliged as he took in the atmosphere.

Soundproofing panels were scattered in patches around the walls, and a few squares were sitting against the wall, waiting to be put to use. The instruments they played were sitting up against the wall as well, except for the keyboard which was on a stand next to Hongjoong’s desk. A small bed was tucked away in the back corner of the garage, and a bookshelf stood next to it, lined with various different albums from different musicians, ranging from various genres as well. The bookshelf also adorned a radio, which seemed to double as a CD player as well. A cheap looking couch sat at the foot of the bed, which was occupied by the four other teenagers squished together—too close for a comfort by the looks of it. Altogether, it was very _Hongjoong_.

“So, what do you think?” Hongjoong asked after a while of listening.

Jongho hummed, “You guys are good,” he said honestly. “How could you even consider replacing Wooyoung though? His voice is perfect.”

“Yeah, it is,” he agreed, glancing over at the couch before looking down at his fidgeting fingers on his laptop, “but I won’t force him if he really doesn’t want to.” He stayed quiet for a moment before looking over at the younger, “But we still haven’t heard you sing, even if it’s not with our songs we still need to know how you sound.”

“What should I even sing?”

“Do you really want me to pick for you?” The older smirked at his own comment, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

Somehow, he found that intimidating, but also seemed like a challenge. Jongho sighed and straightened up from his hunched over position from leaning on the desk.

“Ooh, is Jongho gonna sing for us?” Wooyoung asked excitedly.

Jongho turned to face them, and instead of being in the same squished position they were all in before, they had moved around. Wooyoung was now on the floor in front of San, and San’s arms were draped over his shoulders with his chin propped on top of Wooyoung’s head. Mingi was sitting next to San, his eyes closed, headphones in his ears, and Yeosang’s head in his lap. Yeosang’s legs were hanging over the side of the couch, and was too preoccupied with his phone to notice Wooyoung’s excitement. Hongjoong stayed in his desk chair, leaning back and relaxing into it as he looked at the younger.

When Jongho began singing, he noticed how Yeosang’s attention almost immediately left his phone and he pulled on one of Mingi’s earbuds, causing it to fall out. Mingi’s eyes opened, looking slightly confused until he noticed Jongho as well and took out the other earbud. Jongho managed to capture all their attention and make them all sit and stare in awe.

It was only a week later that they all began rehearsing together, and even though Wooyoung wasn’t technically a part of the band, he’d lay on Hongjoong’s couch and give feedback. Jongho’s entire summer was filled with music, late nights, and a lot more ice cream trips. After so long, Jongho finally felt like he had a group of friends—a _real_ group of friends. His parents may have seen it as more rebellious, but he couldn’t be happier where he was. But of course, summer doesn’t last forever, which only meant Mingi, San and Wooyoung were going away to school, leaving Jongho, Yeosang and Hongjoong. While school occupied most of Jongho’s time, he still managed to hang out with Yeosang and Hongjoong whenever they were free. Yeosang often worked since he had nothing better to do. Hongjoong on the other hand still worked, but it wasn’t a typical hourly pay job, he had small DJ gigs on the weekends, and occasionally hosted at the local radio station. During the week the latter was practically always free apart from preparing for gigs.

Jongho hung out with Hongjoong the most, whether it was just lazing around the garage while the older did his work, or they actually engaged in conversation. They liked each other’s company. They’d share a cigarette, talk about music, the past, present, and future—which Jongho was very unsure about.

While Jongho seemed to have it all planned, he didn’t. It was never for him. His future that was supposedly planned was for his parents.

“I got kicked out,” Hongjoong said, one late night they were chilling in the garage, listening to some random CD Hongjoong popped into his radio. “My parents didn’t _dare_ want to have a gay, aspiring music producer as a son.”

Jongho frowned, “I’m sorry,” he empathized.

He sighed heavily, “It’s fine, I’m just grateful for my grandparents. They say your parents learn from their parents, but you also change as you grow older. It’s just mysterious how the world changed my grandparent’s view on society at the right time.”

“Guess it was fate,” Jongho said lightheartedly, to which Hongjoong scoffed. “If that’s true, then can my parents change quicker?”

“Careful what you wish for, they could just become more evil.”

A couple months passed before it was Jongho’s birthday. He was never one to think his birthday was something to make a big deal over, but he never discouraged anyone from celebrating him if they wanted to. This year was different though, he was turning eighteen, which meant he was becoming an adult. So, of course, his family celebrated his birthday with him and made a bigger deal out of it than necessary. Needless to say, Jongho was exhausted by the end of the day with the amount of relatives he had to see. It was only when he was back home, responding back to the band and his group chat that he was able to finally relax some.

Just as he was about to change into some sleepwear, Jongho got a message from Hongjoong outside the group chat.

> _I know you’re probably tired, but you should look outside_

Doing as he said, he pulled back his curtains slightly to reveal Hongjoong, leaning against Jongho’s street sign. Jongho let out a small sigh in amusement and looked back down at his phone which buzzed with another message.

> _Care to join me for your first legal cig?_

Despite staying out late numerous times with the band over the summer, and with Hongjoong the past couple months, he had never done something as risky as sneaking out. He got a sudden rush of adrenaline as he threw on a hoodie and quietly checked to make sure his parents were asleep. Once he deemed it safe, he made his silent escape and finally breathed out a sigh of relief once he reached the older.

“You’re fucking crazy,” he said with a grin.

Hongjoong just smiled back at him as he handed him the cigarette box and lighter, “You could’ve said ‘no.’”

_But you knew I wouldn’t_ , Jongho wanted to say.

It was undeniable at this point that Jongho had feelings for the older. Coming to terms with his feelings were harder than he had expected, especially since he had hardly come to terms with his sexuality—to which he _still_ wasn’t fully sure. The only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to kiss Hongjoong. He was always on his mind, and anything Hongjoong asked of him, he’d probably do it without a second thought because he truly had him wrapped around his finger. Perhaps it was a dangerous thing, but Jongho could care less.

It was only a few weeks prior to his birthday that he had even come to terms with his feelings—after a scolding from his parents to be exact. At this point, anything his parents said to him he blocked out since it was always the same thing about grades, doing well in school, and _to not stay out so late_. But it wasn’t until they brought up Hongjoong this time he actually paid attention.

“If you weren’t our son, we’d think you and _that guy_ were dating,” his mother had said after he turned up at around midnight.

Of course, it had to be his father to make the crude comment that made Jongho feel disgusting in his own skin. “And I will _not_ have a gay son, it’s just embarrassing.”

Jongho still hadn’t told Hongjoong or any of the others about the argument, he felt ashamed of himself. Technically, he hasn’t even told them about his sexuality—not that he’s obligated to in any way, or that they’d alienate him considering at least, to his knowledge, Hongjoong, Wooyoung, and San were very much _not straight_. It’s still hard to admit it to himself at times.

Just under a month later, a week before Hongjoong’s birthday, Jongho finally broke after the constant thoughts were eating him alive every night. He and Yeosang had met up at some coffee shop in town to discuss what to do for their friends’ birthdays—they were combining Hongjoong’s and Wooyoung’s celebrations since poor Wooyoung would be having finals during his.

“Well, do you like him?”

Jongho slowly nodded, “Yes, for a while now actually.” It felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders by just admitting it out loud rather than just decidedly in his head.

“Just be careful with him,” Yeosang warned, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. Seeing Jongho’s confused expression, he elaborated, “Hyung, for as long as I’ve known him, has just never been one for commitment—or relationships in general. Maybe it’s because of how his parents treated him, because despite his _I-don’t-give-a-fuck_ vibe he tries to portray, he really misses them and hopes that they’ll accept him I guess if he stays single.”

It was like the air in the room changed because suddenly Jongho had trouble breathing. His heart sunk, and he felt foolish for even thinking he had a slight chance. Instead of saying anything, he just hummed quietly while he tapped lightly at the cup in front of him, the condensation from the ice in his americano becoming more interesting.

“But he treats you differently,” Yeosang added, taking another sip from his cup.

“What do you mean?”

Yeosang set his cup down, “I’ve seen how he treats the people he’s liked or has hooked up with,” he said, leaning his elbows on the table. “He’s not—how do I word this?—careful? He doesn’t pay too much attention to the other person, but _you_ he pays attention to. He literally doesn’t stop talking about you when you’re not around and I’m there, and I know his grandparents get an earful too.”

The younger feels his face getting hot, and he notices Yeosang laugh lightly at his reaction. “Hyuuuuuung, don’t laugh at me,” Jongho whined. “I didn’t know he talked about me,” he quietly added.

“ _All the time_.”

The teasing continued throughout the week, and even during their small joint-birthday party for their friends. It seemed as if Yeosang told the other three before they came back for the weekend since they joined on the teasing too, or maybe he wasn’t as secrete as he thought he was. Either way, he succumbed to all their sly comments, making Jongho visibly flustered and an oblivious Hongjoong confused. Though Yeosang’s kind of pep-talk a week prior helped Jongho clear his head, the older had become slightly busier preparing for gigs every week since the holidays were coming up and people were hosting end of the year events. Jongho himself had gotten wrapped up in schoolwork since the holiday break was quickly approaching, which meant teachers would obviously cram everything into the two weeks leading up to it.

Despite both of their busy schedules towards the end of the year, they found themselves still being around each other. Most of the time they’d still be in the garage, Hongjoong would be going over songs while Jongho sat on the couch studying or writing an absurdly long paper he had to write for one of his classes. It amazed Jongho at the amount of passion and drive the older had for music, while he was burnt out from studying for hours, Hongjoong would be hyper-focused on his music. Jongho couldn’t recall ever seeing him get stressed out over music as well, obviously sometimes he would get visibly frustrated if he couldn’t figure out what was missing in a piece or something wasn’t working out how he wanted it to, but never stressed. It was the first time Jongho had seen him like this before, and it continued for a few days before he finally voiced his concern.

Hongjoong had been sighing and making noises of frustration for at least an hour before he took his headphones off and let them rest on his neck, placing his head in his hands. Jongho watched worriedly as the older breathed deeply, obviously trying to calm himself down.

“Are you okay, hyung?” Jongho asked, concern lacing his voice.

It took a few seconds for Hongjoong to respond, “I’ll be fine,” was all he said before going to put his headphones back on.

“ _Hongjoong_.”

He froze.

“Maybe you should take a little break, sometimes working too hard can make you burnt out and you can’t think properly.”

Jongho watched as Hongjoong’s tense shoulders slumped and leaned back in his chair, he spun around to face the younger. Truthfully, Jongho hadn’t really _looked_ at Hongjoong in weeks since they had both just been occupying each other’s space for company and not really conversing. Hongjoong looked tired— _really tired_ —and worn out. The younger couldn’t help but pout seeing how rough he appeared to be. “I suppose you’re right,” Hongjoong agreed quietly, letting out a prolonged sigh. “This isn’t even anything for the upcoming events, this is just my own project,” he said hesitantly, almost like he was nervous speaking about it.

“Is it for the band?”

“Well, I—um, not really. Just something personal.”

He nodded understandingly, watching as the older rubbed the back of his head. “If you’re ever comfortable with it, I’ll gladly give my opinion if you need one.”

Hongjoong pursed his lips, “Maybe,” he answered quietly.

The next day, much later after Jongho was finished working on schoolwork for the night, Hongjoong took up his offer. In all honesty, Jongho didn’t expect him to considering how nervous he seemed to be even talking about it. But, since he did offer, Jongho obviously listened to the track Hongjoong had been relentlessly working on. Hongjoong only had him listen to the instrumental, insisting he didn’t need to hear him singing it himself. Truthfully, he really liked the instrumental, it seemed to be like some sort of sad indie with what sounded like just his keyboard as the only instrument, very different from the alternative rock style the band’s music was, or any of his DJ music. It was when Jongho asked about the lyrics Hongjoong became hesitant again.

“It’s—It’s a love song,” he admitted.

“Oh?” Jongho could feel his heart beat faster.

Hongjoong grabbed his journal and sat down next to Jongho, who was sitting on his bed. The journal had sticky notes poking out from various sides, and many possible lyrics scribbled in all the margins, some were scratched out while others had a question mark above them, or they were circled. Jongho tried making sense of the numerous pages as Hongjoong flipped through them to finally stop on one _very messy_ page. The top of the page had plenty of words scratched or x-ed out, except for one: _sunshine_ . He noticed a sticky note off to the side of the page that said ‘ _he’s different_ ,’ and ‘ _why isn’t he like the others?_ ’

Before Jongho could stare any further at the rest of the page, Hongjoong let out a shaky sigh, “I’m sorry it’s really messy, I had a really hard time writing this but—um—these are the [lyrics](https://youtu.be/lS6BenrFtRs), right here,” he said, holding the journal in front of Jongho, pointing at a long column of words, some select words and lines scribbled out for new ones.

_You make the sunrise vibrant_

_Sunsets are lonely without you_

_Now the oceans still and quiet_

_But somehow different with you_

The lyrics sounded hopeful rather than sad, different from what Jongho would have expected based on the instrumental he heard. He can almost hear the melody even if he hasn’t heard Hongjoong singing it, and he feels the emotion in the lyrics themselves and how well thought out they were. But the lyrics seemed painfully familiar to Jongho, not as in he had heard them somewhere, more so like déjà vu. He’s been in this position before, or rather he _is_ in this position.

_Do you feel the way I do?_

_Yes_ , Jongho desperately wants to say, even if these lyrics aren’t about him.

“What?”

_Fuck, did he actually say that?_

Jongho inhaled, “I feel the same,” he breathes out quickly without a second thought, still staring at the page of lyrics in front of him.

He heard Hongjoong inhale sharply next to him, but didn’t tear his eyes away from the journal, not sure of what he would see if he looked at the older. The journal in front of him began shaking a little, and finally he looked over at him. Jongho searched Hongjoong’s eyes, he couldn’t tell what look he was giving him. His mouth was slightly agape, just enough to see some of his teeth, and he could hear his unstable breathing. “Really?” He finally said.

Jongho could only manage a nod in response.

How it actually happened was a blur, but Hongjoong’s lips were on his, shy, gentle, and sweet. It took Jongho a second to register what was happening, letting his eyes flutter shut and kiss him back. He could taste a mix of something sweet with the nicotine that stayed clinging to his lips. _Strawberries_ , he figured, just like the ice cream they had shared at the beginning of summer. The sweetness was almost just as addictive as the nicotine from the cigarettes they always shared as well, and Jongho just wanted more. The tentative kiss lasted just a little until Hongjoong pulled away the slightest bit, only for Jongho to be the one to dive completely back in, cupping his cheek gently and tilting his head. Hongjoong leaned in more, resting a hand on his thigh, but still letting Jongho be the one in control.

The kiss wasn’t overly heated, but passionate and loving, a mix of small lip bites and little tongue. They stayed like that for a while, slowly letting each other explore one another through shy touches and gentle kisses. Somehow after it all, they ended up laying down and cuddling on Hongjoong’s bed, Jongho had his arm wrapped around Hongjoong’s waist, and the latter had his head laying on his chest.

“How long?” Jongho eventually asked quietly as he drew circles on the small of Hongjoong’s back.

“Summer, I think,” Hongjoong said. “What about you?”

Jongho hummed, “I think it’s the same for me.”

Hongjoong huffs, “So are we both just dumb and oblivious?”

“Perhaps,” he grinned.

They both laughed and shared their own sides of the story, about how they felt and when things began changing for them. For once, Jongho wasn’t just content, but he was happy. Time didn’t matter to Jongho then, promptly ignoring the various messages his phone was probably getting from his parents, that seemed like future Jongho’s problem.


End file.
